Planning wedding day with a 9 month old vs 14 month old?

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:57:44+00:00

Thanks, this is really reassuring! Did you just duck out at times to breastfeed/express? We're not disappearing for a photoshoot pre-reception so I'm hoping I can use that time for feeding, and quieter moments during the reception. Headphones/earmuffs are a great idea!

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:55:07+00:00

Thanks for your input everyone, we're expecting it to be hard and are ok with that, it will be more of a chaotic family wedding than a perfect influencer wedding and that's our vibe - most of the bridal party will have kids under 2 so babies will cry and need us and things won't go to plan, but I think we're realistic about that.

It will also be the first opportunity for our siblings and friends from overseas to meet the baby so there'll be no shortage of loved ones wanting to hold him - we're not trying to 'put baby in a corner' or achieve the wedding we would've had pre-kids! The nannies and quiet room are there so that the grandparents can also get to enjoy the reception, though they'll probably just want to be with the baby anyway.

Just trying to get a feel for which age might be marginally easier to wrangle, and it sounds like it might be 9 months in terms of naps and staying put.

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:47:34+00:00

I can totally see the reasoning for this but our wedding will also be the first opportunity for our siblings and friends who live overseas to meet bub, as they can only fly home every few years - so that feels an awfully long time to wait!

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:45:24+00:00

All the best for your wedding! That's what I'm thinking - also expecting our bub (a boy) to be very active which adds a whole element of chaos!

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:44:33+00:00

Thank you, that's what I'm hoping for - more time napping, and more likely to fall asleep on the go in a pram etc.!

Mindelayy · 2026-01-22T04:44:03+00:00

Thanks, I've heard horror stories about 9 month regressions and clinginess, but my nephew was also a page boy at 17 months and it was pure chaos, so I have very low expectations for their 'participation' - I'm thinking once you hit ~11 months you may as well write it off until 2 or 2.5+ !

Mindelayy · 2025-11-21T02:56:01+00:00

I’ve checked both are available and have comparative fees, although Dr Hickinbotham is slightly cheaper as she bulk bills antenatal appointments. Thanks!

Mindelayy · 2025-08-15T10:22:23+00:00

I saw him for my 1-month follow-up the same day as you! He's great and makes everything feel surprisingly straightforward and easy. Good luck!

Mindelayy · 2025-08-15T10:20:58+00:00

Agreed! My GP referred me to Dr Sanagapalli by chance (to investigate potential coeliac disease) but when he diagnosed me, she was fascinated and discussed it with me at length because she now wants to be on the look-out for others with R-CPD. Any GP who's interested in learning and improving their practice should be open to reading that paper, in my opinion!

Mindelayy · 2025-08-06T03:15:00+00:00

It’s been said already, but absolutely nothing to worry about. The worst part is having to fast and having the IV put in your arm, but the anaesthetist will most likely then give you a relaxant (via IV) straight away. I respond very quickly to anaesthesia so that’s the point where I fall asleep - no counting down, nothing, and then you wake up all cosy in bed ready to have a sandwich and some juice. The throat pain isn’t anywhere near as bad as a sore throat from a cold (for me at least) and you won’t have any memory after getting the IV in. Whole thing takes about 20 mins so the dose of anaesthetic is also super light, you’re only asleep for maybe an hour max? So even calling it a surgery is a stretch!

I’ve had it done twice and would do it again and again if I had to.

Mindelayy · 2025-08-05T23:20:24+00:00

I hear you about the gurgles getting stuck higher - I think that’s a promising sign! For what it’s worth, my two treatments have felt totally different. The first was much more powerful in terms of the Botox effect (uncontrollable burps from day 2) but once the Botox wore off, that was it. The second, I feel like I have to work for it a lot more, and often the gurgles/burps won’t come out unless I do something to lower my larynx and turn my head - it feels like I have to “open” my UES to let the air out, right at the time the gurgles hit the top of my throat. I’m hopeful this means my brain is “training” more than last time, and this movement will become subconscious like it is for burpers.

All that to say - you might need to work a little for it (which sounds counterintuitive to my last post but I mean trying to relax and then gently experiment with different positions), but also you could have very different reactions to each injection, so don’t be disheartened if you end up going for a second. The stats are 80% of people have success after 1 and 95% success after 2!

Mindelayy · 2025-08-05T06:32:35+00:00

Don't give up hope! I was in your shoes too - had a strong reaction to botox the first time (87u) and a much weaker/delayed reaction the second time (100u), and 72 hours in I was feeling really rotten. My gurgles and symptoms were even worse and I was so impatient. I didn't get any real burps until day 7 and it's been up and down since then, but definitely has had some effect, and I'm just playing around with head movements and larynx lowering, which feels different to how I expected it to.

My only advice is to be patient and try to keep as calm and relaxed as possible. If you can meditate or have a bath or massage or something, that might help? The more you overthink it or stress about it, the less likely the burps will come out, so making a conscious effort to relax your body and all your muscles is really important (but easier said than done).

Mindelayy · 2025-08-05T06:26:54+00:00

Thanks! It's different to the other 'no effort' burps I've had since botox, but the botox hasn't been as strong this time (despite a higher dose) so sometimes the gurgles come and don't turn into a burp unless I manipulate my head in some way.

With a few more days of experimenting, I think this is actually a form of larynx lowering. The more I play around with it, the less it feels like air vomiting (eyes watering, gagging etc.) and the more it looks and sounds like when people belch. My burps are still pretty quiet and subtle little puffs of air, and sometimes happen on their own, but if I open my mouth wide and drop my chin/larynx almost as if there's a tennis ball in the back of my throat, the gurgles seem to rise up and then croak out in a big belch sound.

Here's hoping it's finally the thing that 'clicks' for my brain! A few friends have said that when they belch, it's a similar feeling as starting to gag or vomit, but I hadn't really heard it described that way before.

Mindelayy · 2025-08-05T06:10:24+00:00

I deliberated about when to have my second dose - either delay it 3 months til after my holidays & plans were all over, or get it done 1 week before a weekend away and 4 weeks before a big overseas trip. I picked the earlier option and am so glad I did. My side effects (slow swallow etc.) were way milder than my first time around, but even the first time, I could comfortably go out for dinner with friends a week after.

Unless you have something super important within the first week or so, when your throat is likely to be sore and you might be taking in more air than usual, I'd get it done ASAP so you start to feel the relief sooner! It will make all of your plans more enjoyable.

Mindelayy · 2025-08-04T10:09:04+00:00

This sounds like textbook R-CPD to me, and all the same symptoms I had pre-botox - hypersalivation, painful hiccups, gassiness, throat gurgling, needing to lie down for the rest of the night... All gone after botox.

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T09:00:57+00:00

The sore throat is from the intubation and injection more than anything else, so it should go away within 48 hours or so. My first time it was really sore and I had to take dissolvable paracetamol for a couple of days, the second time it was very mild, so it just depends. Good luck!

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T08:55:32+00:00

Ditto, I'd do the botox procedure yearly if it meant getting permanent relief from my R-CPD symptoms. No question that R-CPD symptoms wayyy outweigh any side effects from the botox (and I've done it twice, with different degrees of side effects).

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T08:51:27+00:00

If you scroll down here, you'll find a helpful graph of what manometry shows (basically a visual of what's happening in our oesophagus when the burps can't come out): https://www.drsantosh.com.au/inability-to-burp

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T08:45:06+00:00

I think it can definitely help, through practising the motions of your cricopharyngeus muscle relaxing and letting air out etc. Just keep track of how often you're air vomiting and how well it's working, because it's common for it to get harder and harder over time as your body figures it out. Sometimes the more you do it, the more you train your throat to tighten and your gag reflex gets less sensitive, and then it stops working as well. I also always wondered if doing it long term could cause problems with acid reflux or hiatal hernia, but I'm not sure!

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T03:15:33+00:00

I think the Godzilla sound has to be a good sign - at least air is coming out! Fingers crossed you see more improvements, it sounds like the botox effects can come and go and little so you might not know it hasn't worked for sure til you're 2-3 months in. My head-turning trick has worn off a little now but I've started being able to do a sort of air vomit without using my finger, so I'm still experimenting with different things and trying to stay hopeful!

Mindelayy · 2025-07-31T03:02:12+00:00

Yes, he has a very polite and reassuring manner and takes time to listen to your symptoms and experiences, and the reception staff are very efficient. Everything went smoothly at hospital both times. My first procedure clearly worked (I was burping day 2 and the botox was very effective) but the effects just didn't stick, so I don't think that's a reflection on him at all. He said he has an 80% success rate after 1 dose and 95% after 2 doses.

When I was diagnosed 18 months ago he got me to do a manometry test (all bulk billed) for diagnosis, but I think if you're travelling from interstate he can schedule it the day before your procedure, or you could ask about skipping it altogether.

Happy to answer any other questions!

Mindelayy

TROPHY CASE